¹Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

¹兩個半支派返回河東那時，約書亞把流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人召了來，

²and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

²對他們說：“耶和華的僕人摩西吩咐你們的一切，你們都遵守了；我吩咐你們的一切，你們也都聽從了。

³You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of Yahweh your God.

³這許多日子以來，你們一直沒有撇棄你們的兄弟，直到今日；耶和華你們的　神吩咐你們的命令，你們也遵守了。

⁴Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan.

⁴現在耶和華你們的　神，照著他應許的，已經使你們兄弟得享平安；現在你們可以返回自己家裡，回到耶和華的僕人摩西在約旦河東賜給你們作產業的地方去。

⁵Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

⁵只是你們要謹慎遵守耶和華的僕人摩西吩咐你們的誡命和律法，愛耶和華你們的　神，遵行他的一切道路，謹守他的誡命，緊緊倚靠他，一心一意事奉他。”

⁶So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.

⁶於是約書亞給他們祝福，打發他們回去，他們就回自己的家裡去了。

⁷Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

⁷摩西在巴珊已經把產業分給了瑪拿西半個支派；至於另外半個支派，約書亞在約旦河西他們的兄弟中間，也把產業分給了他們。約書亞打發他們回家去的時候，給他們祝福，

⁸and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.”

⁸對他們說：“你們帶著許多財物，許多牲畜和金、銀、銅、鐵，以及許多衣服，回自己的家去吧；也要把你們從仇敵奪得的戰利品與你們的兄弟同分。”

⁹The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.

⁹於是流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，從迦南地的示羅起程，離開以色列人，回到他們所得的產業基列地去，就是照著耶和華藉著摩西所吩咐，賜給他們的產業。

¹⁰When they came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.

¹⁰兩個半支派在河畔築壇流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，來到迦南地靠近約旦河的地區，就在約旦河邊那裡築了一座祭壇，那壇十分壯觀。

¹¹The children of Israel heard this, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of Israel.”

¹¹以色列人聽見了這事，就說：“看哪，流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，在迦南地邊境，靠近約旦河的地區，以色列人境內，築了一座壇。”

¹²When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

¹²以色列人聽見了這事，以色列全體會眾就聚集在示羅，要上去討伐他們。

¹³The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

¹³其他支派產生疑惑以色列人派以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈，到基列地去見流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人；

¹⁴and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were everyone of them head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.

¹⁴又派十個首領與非尼哈同去，每一個都代表以色列的支派家族；他們是全體以色列各家族的領袖。

¹⁵They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

¹⁵他們去到基列地，流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人那裡，對他們說：

¹⁶“Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, ‘What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yahweh, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel this day against Yahweh?

¹⁶“耶和華的全體會眾這樣說：‘你們作的是甚麼事？竟對以色列的　神不忠，今日轉離不跟從耶和華，為自己築了一座壇，背叛了耶和華。

¹⁷Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of Yahweh,

¹⁷從前拜毗珥的罪孽，我們還以為是小事嗎？雖然有災疫臨到耶和華的會眾，直到今日我們還沒有洗淨這罪呢。

¹⁸that you must turn away this day from following Yahweh? It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

¹⁸你們今日竟轉離不跟從耶和華嗎？今日你們既然背叛耶和華，明日他必向以色列全體會眾發怒了。

¹⁹However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of Yahweh, in which Yahweh’s tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but don’t rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God.

¹⁹如果你們認為所得的地業不潔淨，你們可以過到耶和華的地業，就是耶和華的帳幕居住的地方，在我們中間得地業；只是不可背叛耶和華，也不可背叛我們，在耶和華我們的　神的壇以外，為自己築另一座壇。

²⁰Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’”

²⁰從前謝拉的曾孫亞干，不是在當毀滅的物上犯了不忠的罪，以致　神的忿怒臨到以色列全體會眾嗎？因他的罪孽而死的，還不只他一人呢！’”

²¹Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,

²¹釋疑於是流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人回答以色列的統領說：

²²“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us this day),

²²“大能者　神耶和華！大能者　神耶和華，他是知道的，願以色列也知道；如果我們存心背叛，或是對耶和華不忠，今日就不要放過我們。

²³that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Yahweh; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let Yahweh himself require it.

²³我們若是為自己築壇，轉離不跟從耶和華，或是把燔祭、素祭和平安祭獻在壇上，願耶和華親自追究我們。

²⁴“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel?

²⁴我們作這事，實在是有理由的，因為顧慮將來你們的子孫對我們的子孫說：‘你們與耶和華以色列的　神有甚麼關係呢？

²⁵For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in Yahweh.”’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing Yahweh.

²⁵流本人和迦得人啊，耶和華定了約旦河作我們和你們中間的疆界；你們與耶和華無分了。’這樣，你們的子孫就使我們的子孫不再敬畏耶和華了。

²⁶“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;

²⁶“因此我們說：‘我們築一座壇吧，不是為了獻燔祭，也不是為了獻別的祭，

²⁷but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in Yahweh.’

²⁷而是為了在你們和我們中間，也在我們的後代中間作證據，使我們也可以在耶和華面前用燔祭、別的祭和平安祭事奉耶和華，免得你們的子孫將來對我們的子孫說：你們與耶和華無分了。’

²⁸“Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of the altar of Yahweh, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.”’

²⁸因此我們說：‘將來有人對我們，或是對我們的後代這樣說，我們就可以回答：你們看我們列祖所築的壇，是耶和華的祭壇的模式，這並不是用來獻燔祭，也不是用來獻別的祭，而是在我們和你們中間作證據。’

²⁹“Far be it from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and turn away this day from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle!”

²⁹我們決沒有背叛耶和華的意思，今日要轉離不跟從耶和華，在耶和華我們的　神的帳幕前的祭壇以外，另築一座壇，為了獻燔祭、素祭和別的祭。”

³⁰When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.

³⁰彼此諒解非尼哈祭司和會眾的領袖，以及與祭司同來的以色列的統領，聽了流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西人說的話，都很滿意。

³¹Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh.”

³¹以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈對流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西人說：“今天我們知道耶和華是在我們中間的，因為你們並沒有對耶和華不忠；現在你們已經救了以色列人脫離耶和華的手。”

³²Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

³²以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈和眾領袖離開了流本人和迦得人，從基列地回到迦南地以色列人那裡，把這事向他們報告。

³³The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.

³³以色列人對這事都很滿意，就稱頌　神，不再說要上去討伐流本人和迦得人，毀滅他們所住的地方了。

³⁴The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God.”

³⁴流本人和迦得人給那壇起名叫證壇，因為他們說：“這壇在我們中間證明耶和華是　神。”